Clinical Research Directory

Inclusion Criteria: * Singleton pregnancy. * Term gestation (37-42 weeks). * Fetus in cephalic presentation. * No known fetal chromosomal or (severe) congenital anomaly. * Normally grown fetus (ultrasound scan demonstrating normal fetal growth between 30-37 weeks of gestation, defined as an estimated fetal weight/abdominal circumference \> 10th centile or crossing \<2 quartiles compared to earlier growth ultrasound). * Absence of pre-existing doppler or amniotic fluid abnormalities. * Normal fetal heart rate tracing / CTG (excluding pre-existing hypoxia). * Admission in early spontaneous labor or induction of labor with expected delivery \< 24 hours. * Maternal age \>= 18 years * Willing to give written informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Advanced labor (\> 4cm of cervical dilatation) at the time of admission on the labor ward. * Severe pre-existing chronic maternal medical condition or poor obstetric history/antenatal complications associated with increased risk of adverse perinatal outcome (non-exhaustive e.g.: uncontrolled chronic hypertension, severe pre-eclampsia, uncontrolled (gestational) diabetes, maternal sepsis, major antepartum haemorrhage, intra-uterine infection, prolonged rupture of membranes \> 18 hours, etc.). * Intra-uterine fetal demise / death. * Prelabour rupture of membranes with meconium-stained amniotic fluid. * Patients not fulfilling all the inclusion criteria or refusing to give written informed consent.